Department for Transport

Mersey Gateway Project: Tolls

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has made an assessment of the economic effect on people reaching their place of work of toll charges on the Merseygateway Project.

Jesse Norman: The Department’s assessment of the business case for the Crossing, which included a consideration of the overall effects of tolling levels on road users, showed that the new Crossing will reduce congestion and improve journey times for users. Tolling levels for the new Mersey Gateway Crossing are the responsibility of Halton Borough Council. Any assessment of the local impact of these tolls is a matter for the Council rather than this Department.

Department for Transport: Behavioural Insights Team

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much his Department has paid to the Behavioural Insights Team in each year since 2014.

Mr John Hayes: The Department for Transport has received services from the Behavioural Insights Team since 2014. This has enabled the department to add to its evidence base to support priority government areas. Since January 2011, details of central government contracts above the value of £10,000 are published on Contracts Finder. Contracts published prior to 26 February 2015 can be viewed at: https://data.gov.uk/data/contracts-finder-archiveThose published after 26 February 2015 can be viewed at: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Search

A1: Scotland

John Lamont: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with the Scottish Government on road improvements to the A1 in Scotland and the effect on that part of the road of improvements to the A1 from Newcastle to the Scottish border.

Jesse Norman: I refer to my previous answer to the honourable member dated 11 September that the Department has had Board level discussions with Transport Scotland about improving the remainder of the A1 from Newcastle to Scotland, and will continue to look at the case for completing the dualling of the route, taking into account Scotland’s revised Transport Strategy upon its publication. Improvements to the A1 in Scotland are the responsibility of the devolved administration, but Highways England will consider the effects that improvements in Scotland may have on the A1 in England.

Large Goods Vehicle Drivers

Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the reasons for the shortage of qualified HGV drivers in the road haulage industry; what steps he is taking to address that shortage; and if he will make a statement.

Jesse Norman: The Departments for Transport, Work and Pensions and Education are working with stakeholders to address this issue. This includes the development of a new Trailblazer Apprenticeship standard for HGV drivers funded through the Apprenticeship Levy, help for jobseekers to enter the logistics sector and work to address the gender imbalance in the industry. As part of efforts to improve the image of the profession the Department for Transport has also commissioned a survey of roadside facilities and is working with Highways England, local authorities and operators to ensure more and better quality facilities for drivers. The Department and its agencies have also worked to minimise delays in obtaining an HGV test appointments and licence renewals.

Cabotage: Fines

Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many fines have been (a) issued and (b) paid for breaches of cabotage and combined transport rules in each of the last five years for which data is available.

Jesse Norman: The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency issues fines, known as ‘fixed penalties’, for breaches of cabotage and combined transport rules. The number of fixed penalties issued for breaches of cabotage and combined transport rules in each of the last five years is: YearNumber of fines (fixed penalties) issued20122352013281201429920155172016313   A cabotage offence is against the operator of a vehicle, not the driver, and can only be issued to non-GB operators.  The number of fixed penalties paid for breaches of cabotage and combined transport rules in each of the last five years is: YearNumber of fines (fixed penalties) paid20121542013125201415120152732016162

Bridges: Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to provide a temporary bridge over Castle Street in Hull West and Hessle constituency; and if he will make a statement.

Jesse Norman: The provision of a temporary bridge is not considered to be feasible on the A63, especially in a location likely to be used by pedestrians, cyclists and disabled users, due to land constraints. It also clashes with the location of the permanent Princes Quay Bridge. In the short term we will work closely with Hull County Council, to increase awareness of the alternative Humber Dock Street pedestrian crossing by providing additional signage and information. In the medium term Highways England are investigating whether construction of the Princes Quay Bridge could begin in advance of the main A63 Castle Street improvement scheme works currently programmed for Spring 2020. In order to deliver this element early, Highways England would need the support of key stakeholders including Hull County Council in securing the land to construct the bridge and co-ordinating traffic management.

Department for Communities and Local Government

Department for Communities and Local Government: Secondment

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many applications his Department has received for (a) internal loans and (b) secondments from civil servants in each year since 2010.

Mr Marcus Jones: The information requested is not held centrally.

Department for Communities and Local Government: Buildings

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much his Department has received from sub-lets on its estate in each year since 2010.

Mr Marcus Jones: The information requested is as follows:Table: Income from sub-letting properties on the Department for Communities and Local Government estateFinancial year Amount (£)2010-11 £1,574,2362011-12 £3,023,4172012-13 £3,481,2002013-14 £6,522,4842014-15 £4,428,2752015-16 £2,994,3702016-17 £4,077,054The government uses a process of a Memorandum of Terms of Occupation which enables us to use our assets efficiently and share space between government organisations. We have not included MOTO income in these figures, as these are not sub-lets.

Department for Communities and Local Government: Ministers' Private Offices

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, which Ministers of his Department have requested funds from the public purse for improvements to their Ministerial offices.

Mr Marcus Jones: No ministers have requested funds for improvements to their offices.

Council Housing: Waiting Lists

Mr David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate his Department has made of the number of households on local authority housing waiting lists in (a) the London Borough of Haringey, (b) London and (c) England.

Alok Sharma: Estimates of the numbers of households on local authority waiting lists by local authority in England are published in the Department’s statistics Live Table 600 to be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-rents-lettings-and-tenancies .

Supported Housing: Finance

Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to ensure that vulnerable people living in supported housing get the financial support needed to access adequately supported accommodation.

Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the top-up funding for supported housing tenants given to local authorities is sufficient to make up the shortfall in funding following proposals to limit the level of housing benefit given to supported housing tenants to the level of local housing allowance.

Mr Marcus Jones: Developing a workable and sustainable funding model for supported housing is a priority for the Government. We will set out further details on our plans later in the autumn.

Local Government Finance

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what level of central government funding each local authority area of England received in real terms in each of the last three years.

Mr Marcus Jones: Central government funding, as defined in the Local Authority Revenue Expenditure and Financing Outturn publication, comprises Specific Grants inside Aggregate External Finance, Revenue Support Grant and Police Grant.This information is collected in cash terms each year from each local authority in the Revenue Summary (RS) tables. It is available each financial year in the ‘individual local authority data – outturn’ sections on the Department’s website here:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/local-authority-revenue-expenditure-and-financing

Temporary Accommodation

Mr David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the long-term sustainability of temporary accommodation as a housing solution.

Mr David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the (a) safety and (b) adequacy of living conditions in temporary accommodation.

Mr David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the number of households in (a) the London Borough of Haringey, (b) London and (c) England who have been living in temporary accommodation for (i) three, (ii) six and (iii) 12 months.

Mr David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the (a) safety and (b) adequacy of living conditions in (i) private hostels, (ii) bed and breakfasts and (iii) other unsupported temporary accommodation.

Mr David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to improve the monitoring of standards and compliance with regulations by (a) private hostels, (b) bed and breakfasts and (c) other unsupported temporary accommodation.

Mr Marcus Jones: Time spent in temporary accommodation means people are getting help and it ensures no family is without a roof over their head. The numbers of households in temporary accommodation remains well below the September 2004 peak.Local authorities have a duty to ensure that any accommodation provided for a homeless household under the homelessness legislation must be suitable. In considering ‘suitability’ authorities must, by law, consider whether the accommodation is affordable for the applicant, its size, its condition, its accessibility and also its location.In 2012, we changed the law so that councils can place families in decent and affordable private rented homes. This now means homeless households do not have to wait as long for settled accommodation, spending less time in temporary accommodation.In addition, we have allocated £550 million until 2020 to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping, as well as supporting the Homelessness Reduction Act, including: protecting £315 million of funding to local authorities and £149 million of central government funding for homelessness programmes.We have also replaced the Department for Work and Pension’s Temporary Accommodation Management Fee with a Flexible Homelessness Support Grant which local authorities can use more strategically to prevent and tackle homelessness. This amounts to £402 million over the two years from 2017/18.DCLG publishes regular statistics on rough sleeping, statutory homelessness, temporary accommodation and homelessness prevention and relief. These are published at national, London and local authority level . The latest statistics can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/homelessness-statistics.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Solar Power: Feed-in Tariffs

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent discussions he has had with representatives from the solar energy industry on the future of the Feed-in Tariff scheme.

Richard Harrington: Since my appointment to the department in June I have met with a variety of stakeholders in the small scale renewables sector, including the Solar Trade Association, and the Renewable Energy Association.

Antarctic: Snow and Ice

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of how much ice has reduced in the Antarctic in the last five years.

Joseph Johnson: In the Antarctic, there are two main forms of ice, glacial and sea ice, which, due to differences in measurement approaches, are assessed separately.Sea ice, formed from freezing seawater, is highly variable on a year-to-year basis, and over the last 5 years (2012 - 2016) the annual average extent of sea ice has decreased by an average of about a quarter of a million square kilometres per year. In March 2017 the sea ice extent dropped to the lowest level observed since satellite monitoring began in 1978— at about 2 million square kilometres, or 27% below the mean annual minimum.In the 5 years to mid-2016, around 550 Gigatonnes of glacial ice, which is formed from snow, were lost from the ice sheet.For a full understanding of changes in Antarctic ice, longer-term trends should be assessed. The 5th Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change showed that the Antarctic ice sheet has been losing mass over the past two decades and, while the long term trend in Antarctic sea ice extent has shown a small increase, there are strong regional differences, with extent increasing in some regions and decreasing in others.

Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, in what month in 2017 he plans to reintroduce the Renewable Heat Scheme Regulations 2017.

Claire Perry: The Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme and Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2017 were laid before Parliament on 30 August 2017. These regulations are due to come in force on 20 September 2017, subject to Parliamentary process. Further reforms outlined in the Government response in December 2016 will be implemented in due course, subject to Parliamentary process.

Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many single applicants have received subsidies for multiple installations under the non-domestic Renewable Heat Incentive scheme since that scheme's inception.

Claire Perry: This cannot be directly determined from the application data because we do not require applicants to indicate if they own another Renewable Heat Incentive installation.

Energy: Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what procedures are in place to ensure the safe installation of smart meters in Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle constituency.

Richard Harrington: I refer the hon Member to the answer I gave to the hon Member for Huddersfield (Barry Sheerman) to Question UIN 9047.

Coal: Mining

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what his policy is on UK mined coal in the Government's industrial strategy; and if he will make a statement.

Richard Harrington: We are committed to ensuring the supply of secure, affordable and clean energy for businesses and households.Coal production in the UK has fallen significantly from approx. 30 million tonnes in 2000 to 4.2 million tonnes in 2016[1]. While there remain some markets for coal, this decline has been driven largely by the decline in coal power generation.Our Industrial Strategy is about driving growth right across the whole country. We will create the framework to build on the particular strengths of each place and to address factors that hold places back such as the decline of an industry.An additional £1.8 billion from the Local Growth Fund has been allocated for a new set of Growth Deals between Government and Local Enterprise Partnerships; £23bn National Productivity Investment Fund to drive productivity across the country; a new £300m Skills Fund to skill-up workers.[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/643414/DUKES_2017.pdf (page 39)

Electricity Generation

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether it is his policy for the UK to become self-sufficient in electricity production after March 2019; and if he will make a statement.

Richard Harrington: The Government’s priority is maintaining affordable, clean and secure energy supplies for businesses and households. Interconnectors deliver effectively on these aims as part of our modern industrial strategy and will continue to be an important part of our electricity supply. Our capacity market ensures security of electricity supply by providing all forms of capacity the right incentives to be on the system and to deliver energy when needed.

Aerospace Industry: Procurement

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make an assessment of the effectiveness of his Department's procurement policy in supporting UK aerospace companies and the UK aerospace sector.

Richard Harrington: Although the Department does not procure from the aerospace sector, we provide strong support for the UK aerospace industry through the Aerospace Growth Partnership (AGP). We believe this has been successful in supporting industry. Since 2010, the UK aerospace industry has seen turnover grow from £23.7billion to £32billion; exports have increased from £18billion to £30billion; direct jobs have grown from 110,000 to 120,000, with indirect jobs up from 148,000 to 161,000; and, between 2010 and 2016, productivity growth in the sector was over five times more than in the economy as a whole. In addition we have created a more certain environment to drive increased investment in R&D, through a £1.95billion Government commitment over 13 years to 2026, matched by industry, to fund new R&D projects.But we are not complacent and will continue to work with industry through the AGP to retain the UK's position as a leading aerospace nation.

EU Framework Programme

Stephen Gethins: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether the Government plans to contribute to the development of the EU's Framework Programme 9 while the UK remains a member of the EU.

Joseph Johnson: The UK is keen to engage positively and productively in the discussions around Framework Programme 9. The Government has made clear our interest in continued collaboration with EU partners on research and innovation. We look forward to continuing discussions with the Commission and all other interested parties.

Sellafield: Pay Settlements

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions he has had with the (a) Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, (b) Sellafield Ltd and (c) trade unions on the pay dispute at the Sellafield nuclear reprocessing site.

Richard Harrington: The Sellafield pay dispute is a matter to be resolved between the management at Sellafield Limited and its workforce. Officials are in daily contact with the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority in respect of this issue, but there have been no direct discussions with the other two parties.

Sellafield: Industrial Relations

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what meetings (a) he, (b) Ministers of his Department and (c) Departmental officials have had with members of the management at Sellafield Ltd in West Cumbria in the last 18 months on industrial relations at Sellafield.

Richard Harrington: Sellafield industrial relations, including the current discussions on pay, are a matter to be resolved between the management at Sellafield Limited and its workforce. No meetings have taken place between the Sellafield management and Departmental Ministers on the matter of industrial relations in the last 18 months. Departmental officials engage with key stakeholders when developing policy proposals, and industrial relations have been a raised at meetings with the management of Sellafield Limited over the last 18 months, particularly whilst negotiating pension reform proposals.

Sellafield: Pay Settlements

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to support a resolution to the pay dispute at Sellafield Ltd in West Cumbria.

Richard Harrington: The pay dispute on the Sellafield site is a matter to be resolved between the management at Sellafield Limited and its workforce. Officials are in daily contact with the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority in respect of this issue.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Burma: Rohingya

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the Government of Burma on the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights' assessment of Burma's operations against Rohingya Muslims constituting a textbook example of ethnic cleansing.

Mark Field: Holding answer received on 14 September 2017



Since the UN High Commissioner of Human Rights' statement on 11 September, our Ambassador has raised the situation in Rakhine with Burmese Ministers and has set out our concerns about the violence, the large scale displacement of civilians, and the need for improved humanitarian access. The Foreign Secretary had earlier spoken to State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi on 7 September in similar terms and to underline the need for any allegations of human rights abuses to be investigated. Subsequently, at his press conference on 14 September, the Foreign Secretary described the situation in Rakhine as an “abomination”, and urged the displaced Rohingya to be allowed back and for the abuse of their human rights and killings to stop.

Caribbean: Hurricanes and Tornadoes

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what (a) short-term emergency and (b) medium-term reconstruction aid his Department has provided to people affected by Hurricane Irma.

Sir Alan Duncan: I refer you to the statement I made on 12 September, Hurricane Irma: Government Response, House of Commons, Volume 628: https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2017-09-12/debates/FDF2D795-E713-4FD6-BBEB-1E99DA488897/HurricaneIrmaGovernmentResponse

Attorney General

Courts: Legal Costs

Alan Brown: To ask the Attorney General, how many court cases the Government has defended since 2010; and what the cost to the public purse was of each such case.

Jeremy Wright: Each Department is responsible for defending actions brought against them and makes their own arrangements for doing so. There is no central record of all court cases brought against the Government and therefore it is not possible to identify either the total number of cases or the cost of them.However, most central government bodies instruct the Government Legal Department to conduct their litigation. Since the 2010-11 financial year the Government Legal Department has been instructed by government bodies in almost 200,000 cases costing about £570 million (including VAT).

Rape: Prosecutions

Diana Johnson: To ask the Attorney General, how many times (a) victims have withdrawn support for a prosecution of an alleged rape under the Sexual Offences Act 2003 case and (b) the Crown Prosecution Service has decided not to continue with the prosecution of an alleged rape following the withdrawal of such support in each year since 2009-10.

Jeremy Wright: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) does not maintain a central record of the number of victims who have withdrawn support for a prosecution or the number of cases the CPS has then subsequently decided not to proceed with. This information could only be obtained by examining CPS case files, which would incur disproportionate cost.However, while the CPS does not collect data on the number of victims who withdraw support for the prosecution, or cases which do not proceed following the withdrawal of such support, information is available to show the overall number of pre-charge decisions where a decision not to prosecute was made and unsuccessful prosecution outcomes that were flagged as rape. These outcomes can be disaggregated to show the volume and proportion that were due to victim issues, including retraction, where it was inappropriate to compel the victim, non-attendance at trial or where the evidence given did not come up to proof.The CPS monitoring of cases involving offences of rape involves the application of a rape ‘flag’ to applicable cases that are recorded on the CPS’ electronic Case Management System (CMS). The CPS definition of rape covers any case where the following offences were considered pre-charge or were subsequently charged:Rape: Section 1 of the Sexual Offences Act 1956Sexual intercourse with a girl under the age of 13: Section 5 of the Sexual Offences Act 1956Rape: Section 1 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003Rape of a child under 13: Section 5 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003Sexual activity with a person with a mental disorder impeding choice: Section 30(3) of the Sexual Offences Act 2003An attempt to commit any of the above offences under the Criminal Attempts Act 1981Incitement or conspiracy to commit any of the above offences.The table below shows the volume and proportion of decisions not to prosecute due to victim issues in cases flagged as rape during each of the last seven available years.Victim IssuesNo ProsecutionChargedTotalVolume%Volume%Volume%2009-20102913.8%4,16554.2%3,23242.1%7,6832010-20112993.7%4,33953.4%3,38741.7%8,1302011-20121902.8%3,28148.1%3,21347.1%6,8222012-20131132.1%2,19540.6%2,88953.5%5,4042013-20141582.7%1,85731.7%3,62161.9%5,8502014-20151893.1%1,99732.4%3,64859.2%6,1592015-20161812.6%2,27133.1%3,91057.0%6,855Data Source: CPS Case Management Information SystemVictim issues include cases where the victim is called as a witness in a trial, but fails to attend court; where the evidence of the victim supports the prosecution case but the victim refuses to be called as a witness, or retracts, or withdraws a complaint; and where the evidence of the victim does not support the prosecution of the defendant, leading to an unsuccessful outcome, but the victim however, has not retracted.The CPS will shortly be publishing its annual Violence Against Women and Girls Report for 2016-17 which will provide the most up to date assessment of rape flagged prosecutions including the key reasons for unsuccessful prosecutions.

Attorney General: Brexit

Tom Brake: To ask the Attorney General, which EU legislation within the Law Officers' Departments' responsibilities will (a) be incorporated into UK law through the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill and (b) require to be amended under powers in that Bill.

Jeremy Wright: The European Union (Withdrawal) Bill will convert European Union law into UK law as it applies in the UK at the moment of exit. This will ensure that, wherever possible, the same rules and laws will apply the day after exit as they did before.The Government is still making a detailed assessment of what corrections will be required to make that law function appropriately on exit day. The Government’s current estimate is that we will need to make between 800 and 1,000 statutory instruments to make exit a reality in UK law.

Contempt of Court Act 1981

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Attorney General, what recent discussions he has had with social media providers on user postings and the provisions of the Contempt of Court Act 1981.

Jeremy Wright: The Law Officers have had no recent discussions with social media providers on users’ postings and the provisions of the Contempt of Court Act 1981. The Attorney General has, however, announced on 15 September 2017 a Call for Evidence to consider the impact of social media on the administration of justice. The Call for Evidence will assess the risks arising from social media to the fairness of criminal trials including contempt of court, the right to anonymity of victims and the integrity of judicial orders in criminal proceedings.

Department for International Development

Overseas Aid

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what monitoring her Department undertakes to ensure that aid granted to specific areas is used for the purposes for which it was intended; and if she will liaise with religious missionaries in the destination country to ensure that UK aid is effectively distributed.

Alistair Burt: Effective use of the UK Aid budget is central to the Department for International Development’s work. All funding is subject to rigorous due diligence checks and we have strict auditing and monitoring controls in place to ensure all funding is used as it should be. Every project is subject to an annual performance review and a project completion review to ensure that the objectives have been achieved and aid has been delivered to the intended beneficiaries. The Department uses multiple sources of information, including its partnerships with Civil Society, to be confident UK Aid reaches those intended.

Department for Education

ERASMUS

Stephen Gethins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans she has to ensure that the UK continues to participate in Erasmus after it has left the EU.

Stephen Gethins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her policy is on exiting university students completing a mandatory year abroad in 2019-20 through the Erasmus+ programme.

Stephen Gethins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her policy is on university students starting a course in autumn 2017 (a) completing a mandatory year abroad in 2019-20 through and (b) receiving funding under the Erasmus+ programme.

Joseph Johnson: The Department for Education recognises the value of international exchange and collaboration in education, as part of our vision for the UK as a global nation. There may be European programmes in which we might want to participate. We will consider this as part of the negotiation. The referendum result does not immediately affect students studying in the EU, including those currently on Erasmus+. The UK government will underwrite successful bids for Erasmus+ submitted while the UK is still a member state, even if payments continue beyond the point of exit.

Ministry of Justice

Employment and Support Allowance: Appeals

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average time between the commencement of an employment and support allowance appeal and a decision was in (a) Barnsley, (b) South Yorkshire and (c) the UK in the most recent 12-month period for which data is available.

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average time between the commencement of a personal independence payment appeal and a decision was in (a) Barnsley, (b) South Yorkshire and (c) the UK in the most recent 12-month period for which data is available.

Dr Phillip Lee: The table below contains the requested information. United Kingdom1Barnsley 2South Yorkshire 3 Average Clearance Time (Weeks) 4Year 5PIP 6ESA 7PIP 6ESA7PIP 6ESA72016-201715.614.415.215.215.915.2 Notes1. HM Courts and Tribunals Service administers appeals for appellants living in England, Scotland and Wales. Data are therefore for those appellants only. The Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service administers ESA and PIP appeals for appellants living in Northern Ireland.2 Barnsley data include all cases attributed to this venue.3. South Yorkshire includes the venues: Barnsley, Sheffield and Doncaster. Data include all cases attributed to these venues.4 Average Clearance Time - time taken for appeal receipt to outcome. This includes both those cleared at hearing and those cleared without the need of a tribunal hearing.5. Financial year April to March.6. Personal Independence Payment (New Claim Appeals), which replaced Disability Living Allowance on 8 April 2013, also includes Personal Independence Claims (Reassessments).7. Includes Employment & Support Allowance and Employment & Support Allowance (Reassessments).Although care is taken when processing and analysing the data, the details are subject to inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale case management system and are the best data available.The data may differ slightly to those of the published stats as these data were run on a different date.

Prisons

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he plans to introduce a Prisons Bill during the current session of Parliament.

Dr Phillip Lee: We remain committed to continuing to reform our prisons to make them places of safety and reform. The most pressing priorities can be delivered without legislation and we are currently working to implement the necessary operational changes. The Bill contained measures to strengthen the role of the Chief Inspector of Prisons and the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman. To strengthen their role we:have created a new Unit within HM Prison and Probation Service that is responsible for responding to recommendations our independent scrutiny bodies make;are implementing the Urgent Notification process contained in the Bill to ensure the Chief Inspector can go directly to the Secretary of State in the most severe and urgent cases, who will respond promptly 28 days later;will develop a Protocol between the Ombudsman and Ministry of Justice to set out the role of both organisations in relation to each other, similar to the protocol agreed between HM Chief Inspector of Prisons and the Department earlier this year. The Bill also contained measures on psychoactive substances and combatting illicit mobile phones in prisons. To address these issues we have already:rolled out new tests for psychoactive substances across the estate;trained 300 dogs to detect psychoactive substances;made the supply of psychoactive substances into prisons, and possession of them, criminal offences; andinvested £2 million to equip every prison across the estate with hand-held mobile phone detectors and portable detection poles to step up the detection of illegal phones.

Ministry of Justice: Behavioural Insights Team

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much his Department has paid to the Behavioural Insights Team in each year since 2014.

Dr Phillip Lee: The Ministry of Justice has received services from the Behavioural Insights Team since 2014. This has enabled the department to add to its evidence base to support priority government areas. Since January 2011, details of central government contracts above the value of £10,000 are published on Contracts Finder. Contracts published prior to 26 February 2015 can be viewed at: https://data.gov.uk/data/contracts-finder-archiveThose published after 26 February 2015 can be viewed at: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Search

Employment Tribunals Service: North Wales

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, for what reasons there is an average waiting time of 34 weeks for a tribunal date in North Wales; and what the longest time is for which a person has had to wait for such a date.

Dr Phillip Lee: The average waiting times for Employment Tribunal hearings in 2016/17 for Wales is 28 weeks. Information broken down specifically for Employment Tribunals in North Wales waiting times is not recorded.

Employment Tribunals Service: North Wales

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps are being taken to address the shortage of panel members needed for tribunals in the North Wales area.

Dr Phillip Lee: The panel member resource for the Employment Tribunals hearings in Wales is managed across Wales on a case by case basis. No cases are delayed due to lack of panel members. The Regional Judge keeps this under close monitoring and currently the overall resource in Wales is sufficient to deploy judiciary to meet demand on a case by case basis.

Ministry of Defence

Veterans: Great Manchester

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has made an assessment of the adequacy of support available to service personnel from Greater Manchester who have left the armed forces.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The Ministry of Defence has made no assessment of the adequacy of support available to Service personnel from Greater Manchester who have left the Armed Forces. Support to former Service personnel residing in the UK, including Greater Manchester, is available from Statutory Authorities and the voluntary and charitable sector.

General Service Medal: Mali

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 11 September 2017 to Question 8803, how many personnel have (a) applied for and (b) received the General Service Medal 2008 with the West Africa clasp.

Mark Lancaster: As of 13 September 2017, 98 personnel were eligible for the General Service Medal 2008 with the West Africa clasp, of which five have been issued.

Army Reserve

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many army reservists there were by each region of England and other constituent parts of the UK in each of the last 10 years.

Mark Lancaster: The number of Army Reservists by each region of England and other constituent parts of the UK is shown in the attached table, information on the number of Reservists is not held centrally prior to 2012 and could be provided only at disproportionate cost:



9918 - Army Reservists by each region of England
(Word Document, 40.47 KB)

Army Reserve

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Army Reserve Centres have closed by parliamentary constituency in each of the last 10 years.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: Four Army Reserve Centres have closed in the last 10 years. Details of the constituencies in which the Army Reserve Centres were located and the years they closed are below: Establishment NameFinancial Year of ClosureConstituencyBrompton Road Territorial Army Centre2013-14KensingtonBrambles Farm Territorial Centre2013-14MiddlesboroughHall on Broad Street Sussex Volunteer Estate2012-13LewesWorcester Territorial Army Centre2010-11Worcester

Armed Forces: Housing

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his Department is doing to ensure that Carillion carries out its full contracts in respect of armed forces-friendly accommodation.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: CarillionAmey provide the Ministry of Defence (MOD) with monthly performance figures which are measured against a range of key delivery targets. These are subject to rigorous assurance checks, and the results are reported to governing bodies and are subject to external review.To ensure that works undertaken by CarillionAmey under the National Housing Prime Contract are carried out to an appropriate standard, a series of checks are carried out by the MOD, CarillionAmey and a third party assurance provider.

Armed Forces: Training

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which facilities at UK training establishments have been closed (a) temporarily and (b) permanently as a result of non-use in each of the last 36 months.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Department for Work and Pensions

Access to Work Programme

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he plans to extend the Access to Work scheme to (a) internships and (b) apprenticeships.

Penny Mordaunt: Young people who start a work placement with an employer as part of the Department for Education supported internship programme or a Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy traineeship are eligible to apply for Access to Work support for the period of the work placement. People undertaking apprenticeships are also eligible for Access to Work support, as they receive a wage and have a contract of employment.We will publish our response to “Improving Lives: The Work, Health, and Disability Green Paper“ this autumn, in which we will explore options for improving the service offered through AtW.

Cancer

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what financial support the Government provides to people who have terminal cancer and their families.

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what support is currently available to children and young people diagnosed with cancer for claims for (a) disability living allowance and (b) personal independence payments.

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to ensure access to benefits for children and young people who have been diagnosed with cancer.

Penny Mordaunt: Children and young people with serious or critical illnesses such as cancer are able to apply for Disability Living Allowance (DLA) if they are aged under 16 or Personal Independence Payment (PIP) if aged 16 and above. DLA and PIP are tax free allowances, which are designed to contribute to the extra costs incurred as a result of long-term health conditions and/or disabilities. Children and young people in receipt of DLA or PIP can receive up to £141.10 a week. Entitlement to DLA and PIP depends on the effects that severe disability has on a person’s life and not on a particular disability or diagnosis. This is because people living with the same illnesses or disabilities may not necessarily have the same care or mobility needs. Special considerations do however apply to children and adults who are terminally ill, and our arrangements recognise the particular difficulties faced by people who have only a short time to live. Their claims are fast-tracked and they are awarded the highest rate of the care component of DLA and the enhanced rate of the daily living component of PIP automatically without having to complete a qualifying period. This means that, if they claim straight away, they can get benefit as soon as they have been diagnosed as being terminally ill. The arrangements ensure that claims are dealt with quickly and sensitively. The legislation defines a person as terminally ill if ‘he suffers from a progressive disease and his death can reasonably be expected within six months’. People over the age of 16 who are unable to work due to an illness or disability can claim Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) which has both a contributory strand accessible via a National Insurance contribution test and an income-related strand accessible via an income test. For cancer sufferers, a light touch evidence gathering process exists, to help determine eligibility. There is also a presumption that claimants receiving or recovering from cancer treatment will be placed in the Support Group which could entitle them to up to £109.65 per week, subject to suitable evidence from a healthcare professional such as a GP or oncologist. Carers may also be able to qualify for Carer’s Allowance, which is currently £62.70 a week if they meet the eligibility criteria. Trudi Hills, our Sector champion for banking, has been working with Macmillan to improve how the banking industry supports people when they receive a cancer diagnosis

Disability

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what progress has been made on reviewing disabled people's access and amending regulations where necessary to improve disabled access to licensed premises, parking and housing.

Penny Mordaunt: Government is concerned about issues raised in relation to access and inclusion of disabled people and the problems with ensuring businesses and service providers comply with their duties under the Equality Act 2010. We are keen to remove the barriers that some disabled people face so they can take a full part in their communities; socialise with their friends; and live where they want to. Too many licensed premises are still difficult for disabled people to access. The House of Lords Select Committee on the Licensing Act 2003 published its report in April 2017 and recommended that the 2003 Act should be amended to require that an application for a premises licence is accompanied by a disabled access and facilities statement. The Government will respond to the recommendation made by the Lords Select Committee in due course. The government is currently examining how the Blue Badge scheme works in practice for people with non-physical disabilities in order to ensure the rules and guidance are clear for both local authorities and citizens and to improve the way the scheme is administered across the country. The Neighbourhood Planning Act 2017 introduced statutory obligations on the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government to provide guidance on housing to meet the needs for older and disabled people, and we are in the process of developing that additional guidance in consultation with the sector and other interested parties. We have commissioned research into Part M of the Building Regulations and are considering the results of that research in order to determine whether there is a need to review current Building Regulation guidance. In addition to the actions above, I am also working more widely to improve access for disabled people. Earlier this year I appointed eleven Sector Champions, leaders in their particular sectors, to champion accessibility for disabled people as consumers. Sectors covered include, retail, transport, hotels, banking and tourism. My officials are also working with those in DCLG and with the Changing Places Consortium to ensure that, when the opportunity arises Building Regulations will include provisions for fully accessible toilets. There are currently 1033 Changing Paces facilities in the UK

Employment: Disability

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the Government plans to support one million more people with disabilities into employment over the next 10 years.

Penny Mordaunt: The Government is committed to improving employment outcomes for disabled people. The manifesto commitment underpins this with a clear and time-bound goal - to see 1 million more disabled people into work over the next 10 years. We know that there is much more that needs to be done, so that everyone who can work is given the right support and opportunities to do so. That is why we published Improving Lives; the Work, Health and Disability Green Paper, which set out the action we plan to take and consulted on proposals for wider reform. We will respond to the consultation and set out our plans in due course.

Employment Services: Disability

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what progress has been made on bringing forward legislative proposals to give unemployed disabled claimants personalised and tailored employment support.

Penny Mordaunt: We rolled out the Personal Support Package (PSP) from April 2017 for people with health conditions, including a £330m package to deliver a broad range of employment and health support for new ESA Work Related Activity Group and UC Limited Capability for Work claimants. This also includes an expansion of the national employment support provision. We have additionally recruited 300 new Disability Employment Advisers, assigned an additional £15 million to the Flexible Support Fund, made changes to the permitted work rules, and almost completed the roll out of the Health and Work Conversation. This is in line with our ambition to provide a support system which can be personalised and tailored to the needs of the individual. Moreover, we consulted on a range of proposals in the Green Paper, Improving Lives, and we are carefully considering how to take these forward in consultation with a range of stakeholders.

High Rise Flats: Insulation

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answers of 7 September 2017 to Question 7375 and of 13 July 2017 to Question 3059, whether the installation of cladding and external wall insulation systems requires assessment under health and safety at work legislation.

Penny Mordaunt: Health and safety at work legislation requires duty holders installing cladding and external wall insulation systems to manage and control risks from their work activities. To enable them to do this, they are required to carry out a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks to the health and safety of their employees and others from their work activities. The fire and structural safety of cladding and external wall insulation systems is subject to the requirements of Building Regulations. Building control bodies, not HSE, are responsible for checking compliance with Building Regulations’ requirements.

Work Capability Assessment

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what evidence he has that releasing the work capability assessment outcome report in answer to Freedom of Information request FS50645849 would damage the reputation of the Centre for Health and Disability Assessments, Maximus or Atos.

Penny Mordaunt: As this Freedom of Information request is the subject of an on-going appeal, the Department is unable to comment further at this stage.

Supported Housing: Housing Benefit

Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will assess the likely effects of plans to limit the amount of housing benefit that can be claimed by people living in supported housing to the level of local housing allowance on the ability of vulnerable people to afford adequate accommodation.

Caroline Dinenage: Developing a workable and sustainable funding model for supported housing is a priority for the Government. We will set out further details on the Government’s plans in the autumn.

Children: Poverty

Ben Lake: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the merits of replicating the Welsh Government's child poverty strategy.

Ben Lake: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans he has to introduce annual reporting against targets for the Government's child poverty strategy.

Ben Lake: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans he has to introduce quantifiable targets for the Government's next child poverty strategy.

Ben Lake: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will publish a report on the progress of the delivery of the Government's child poverty strategy against its initial objectives.

Ben Lake: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans he has to introduce a child poverty strategy for 2018 to 2021.

Caroline Dinenage: Tackling child poverty and disadvantage is a priority for this government. To do this requires an approach that goes beyond the safety net of the welfare state to tackle the root causes of poverty and disadvantage. This is why the income-related targets and the requirement to publish a child poverty strategy set out in the Child Poverty Act 2010 have been repealed. In their place, we have introduced statutory measures to drive action on parental worklessness and children’s educational attainment – the two areas that we know can make the biggest difference to disadvantaged children. Improving Lives: Helping Workless Families, published on 4 April, set out a framework for a continued focus on improving children’s outcomes, now and in the future. It introduced seven non-statutory indicators and underlying measures to track progress in other areas, such as parental conflict, problem debt and homelessness, that are important in tackling the disadvantages that can affect families’ and children’s outcomes.The Government has a statutory duty to report annually to Parliament on parental worklessness and children’s education attainment. The latest data on the non-statutory indicators will also be published each year.

Social Security Benefits

Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has plans to increase mental health training for personal independent payment and employment and support allowance assessors.

Penny Mordaunt: Training for Health Professionals on how to identify the impact of mental health conditions on a claimant’s ability to carry out the activities in either assessment, is already a key feature of the training programmes provided by the Assessment Providers. All Assessment Providers frequently engage with medical experts, charities and relevant stakeholders including mental-health organisations, to strengthen, review and update training programmes for all their Health Professionals.

Department for Work and Pensions: Behavioural Insights Team

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what services his Department has received from the Behavioural Insights Team since 2014.

Caroline Dinenage: The information requested is not collated centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Families: Disadvantaged

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to his Department's publication entitled Improving lives: helping workless families analysis and research pack, published in April 2017, what proportion of families experiencing each Children and Young People's Outcome Indicator from 2 to 9 were included in the (a) workless family, (b) working family in the bottom 40 per cent of the income distribution and (c) working family in the top 60 per cent of the income distribution category.

Caroline Dinenage: The publication “Improving lives: helping workless families: analysis and research pack” presents analysis on worklessness, other associated disadvantages and how they impact on children’s outcomes. The publication includes analysis of nine indicators and the most interesting and useful breakdowns. It is not possible to produce the majority of the breakdowns requested because of the different data sources, definitions and availability of data.

Families: Disadvantaged

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to his Department's publication entitled Improving lives: helping workless families analysis and research pack, published in April 2017, for what reason workless families are compared to families with work from the bottom 40 per cent of the income distribution in that publication.

Caroline Dinenage: The “Improving lives: helping workless families analysis and research pack”, compares workless families to working families from the bottom 40 per cent of the income distribution, because this represents a more useful comparison than comparing to all working families.

Housing Benefit: Private Rented Housing

Mr David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 11 September 2017 to Question 8560, what steps the Government is taking to reduce (a) the total sum of housing benefit being paid to private landlords and (b) the total sum of housing benefit being paid to private landlords providing unsafe and unsuitable accommodation.

Caroline Dinenage: Reform to housing benefit is a central part of this Government’s plan to create a welfare system that supports the most vulnerable and is fair to taxpayers. In order to limit HB expenditure in the private rent sector, Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates were frozen for 4 years from April 2016. This means rates are either frozen at April 2015 levels or are set at the 30th percentile of local rents if lower. In line with the ‘freeze’ to LHA rates, the LHA national caps (which no individual rate can exceed) are also frozen at April 2015 levels. Local authorities have strong and effective powers under the Housing Act 2004 to deal with poor quality and unsafe accommodation in the private rented sector, including mandatory/additional licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs), selective licensing of other privately rented properties and the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) to assess the health and safety risks in all residential properties. We have further strengthened these measures through the Housing and Planning Act 2016, introducing civil penalties of up to £30,000 and Rent Repayment Orders for a wider range of offences.

Employment and Support Allowance: Parkinson's Disease

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people with Parkinson's disease have been placed in the (a) support group and (b) work-related activity group with a prognosis statement (i) of three months, (ii) of six months, (iii) of 12 months, (iv) of 18 months, (v) of two years and (vi) in the longer term since the introduction of employment and support allowance in 2008; and if he will make a statement.

Penny Mordaunt: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 5 September 2017 to Question UIN 6544http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2017-07-20/6544/

Children: Maintenance

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much is owed to resident parents by non-resident parents in child support arrears in (a) Hull and (b) the East Riding of Yorkshire in the latest period for which figures are available.

Caroline Dinenage: The table below shows the amount of Child Support Agency arrears owed by non-resident parents to parents with care in Kingston upon Hull and East Riding of Yorkshire as of June 2017; Local AuthorityArrears owedKingston upon Hull£20,028,000East Riding of Yorkshire£18,737,000 This can be found in the regional data tables published as part of the Child Support Agency quarterly summary of statistics, available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/child-support-agency-quarterly-summary-of-statistics-june-2017.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Secondment

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many applications his Department has received for (a) internal loans and (b) secondments from civil servants in each year since 2010.

George Eustice: This department is committed to the benefits that can be brought for the taxpayer in the delivery of Government objectives from interchange and is always looking for opportunities to develop arrangements that further the delivery agenda of the Department.It is the policy across Civil Service departments that where individuals transfer temporarily between our department and another department they move on a loan basis.We do not centrally monitor, in the department, if a Civil Servant applies for a loan or secondment out of the department, each request is dealt with on a case-by-case basis in line with business need.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Buildings

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much his Department has paid in letting fees for its estate in each year since 2010.

George Eustice: The Department does not hold expenditure data at the level of detail requested.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Buildings

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much his Department has received from sub-lets on its estate in each year since 2010.

George Eustice: The Department does not hold commercial sub-let data at the level of detail requested.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Procurement

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many procurements undertaken by his Department have taken more than (a) three months, (b) six months, (c) one year and (d) two years.

George Eustice: QuestionTimescaleNumber of projectsaThree to five months7bSix months to 11 months2c12 months to 23 months0d24 months +0   The figures above include: Procurement projects with a start date between 01 April 2014 and 06 September 2017 (a total of 815 procurements completed in this period) Procurements projects for Core Defra only Procurement projects above the OJEU (Official Journal of the European Union) limit. Currently this is set at £106,047 for central government departments.

Fisheries: UK Trade with EU

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of the value of domestic fish landings which are exported to other EU member states.

George Eustice: In 2015, the UK exported 500 thousand tonnes of fish and fish products, with a value of £1.4 billion. The Marine Management Organisation publishes trade analysis in their annual UK Sea Fisheries Statistics publication, which can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/uk-sea-fisheries-annual-statistics-report-2015  These statistics include the outward movement of fish and fish products produced by businesses in the UK, plus goods which, after importation to the UK, are then exported. The statistics include fish caught by foreign vessels and landed into the UK; fish caught by the UK fleet and landed into foreign ports are excluded.

Pest Control: Trapping

Ben Lake: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his Department's policy is on the use of the Goodnature A24 mammal trap in England and Wales.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: Wildlife management is a devolved matter so this reply relates to England only. The Goodnature A24 rat and stoat trap is permitted for use in England, under the Spring Traps Approval (Variation) (England) Order 2015, for the purpose of killing rats and stoats only. The trap must be placed so that it can only be entered by way of an artificial tunnel that is suitable for that purpose. A condition of use for all approved spring traps is that so far as is practicable without unreasonably compromising its use, the trap must be used in a manner that minimises the likelihood of its killing, taking or injuring non-target species. It is for the trapper to make sure conditions of use are complied with and offences against protected species are not committed. Where the safety of protected species cannot be reasonably assured, the use of non-lethal methods of capture, such as cage trapping, should be employed so non-target species can be released unharmed if accidentally captured.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Behavioural Insights Team

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much his Department has paid to the Behavioural Insights Team in each year since 2014.

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what services his Department has received from the Behavioural Insights Team since 2014.

George Eustice: The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has received services from the Behavioural Insights Team since 2014. This has enabled the department to add to its evidence base to support priority government areas. Since January 2011, details of central government contracts above the value of £10,000 have been published on Contracts Finder. Contracts published prior to 26 February 2015 can be viewed at:https://data.gov.uk/data/contracts-finder-archiveThose published after 26 February 2015 can be viewed at: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Search

Environment: Treaties

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which international environmental agreements to which the UK is currently a party as a consequence of ratification by the EU he plans the UK to ratify in order to maintain the current level of environmental protection after the UK leaves the EU.

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the legal position will be of international environmental agreements ratified jointly by the EU and the UK after the UK leaves the EU.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The UK will continue to be bound by international Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) to which it is party. We are committed to upholding our international obligations under these agreements and will continue to play an active role internationally following our departure from the EU. We will give due consideration to the ratification of MEAs in the future to which the UK is not currently party in its own right,(recognising that some risks have no relevance to the UK.)

Home Office

Arts: EU Nationals

Stephen Gethins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans her Department has to ensure that it will have the capacity efficiently to process short-term work visas for EU residents in the creative industries wishing to do project work in the UK after the UK leaves the EU.

Brandon Lewis: The Government is considering a range of options for the future immigration arrangements that will apply after the UK leaves the EU. The Home Office constantly reviews its capabilities in order to deliver the Government’s agenda. Any resultant changes to resource requirements will be factored into strategic planning.

Home Office: Arms Length External Organisations

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the number of new arms-length bodies her Department plans to establish once the UK has left the EU.

Brandon Lewis: Whether or not any new arms-length bodies will be required by the Home Office once the UK has left the EU, remains subject to a final assessment and is in part dependent on the outcome of negotiations. Prior to any decisions on establishing new bodies, the Government will, however, always look to minimise disruption and costs, which will include considering alternative options.

Immigration

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reasons her Department has reduced the operational hours of the Immigration and Asylum Unit for hon. Members during the 2017 Summer Recess.

Brandon Lewis: The UKVI MP Account Management teams have offered a reduced phone service from 11am – 4pm since the beginning of recess to enable them to respond to an unprecedented increase in written enquiries from Members of Parliament. Hon. Members continue to be able to contact their MP Account Managers direct to raise urgent enquiries outside of these operating times. Records show that the teams are handling similar call volumes in the reduced operating hours. Reducing the operational hours of the service helps ensure that the teams continue to deliver high levels of service both on the phones and in writing.

Deportation: EU Nationals

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reasons her Department erroneously sent deportation letters to EU citizens lawfully living in the UK.

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what level of seniority the Official holds who was responsible for signing-off deportation letters which were erroneously sent by her Department to EU citizens lawfully living in the UK.

Brandon Lewis: There has been no policy change with regards to EEA citizens living in the UK and the Home Office is absolutely clear that the rights of EEA citizens living in the UK remain unchanged. It is Home Office policy that any person who is not lawfully resident in the UK is liable for removal and may be notified accordingly by the Home Office. I regret that, in this instance, officials made an operational error and issued enforcement letters incorrectly.  The Home Office acted swiftly to correct the error and I have personally written to all those affected to apologise for any stress or concern that this caused.

Visas

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 20 July 2017 to Question 5241, what her Department's definition is of an exceptional circumstance that would validate a refund to people who have submitted a visa application under her Department's Priority Service scheme.

Brandon Lewis: UK Visas and Immigration consider all requests for refunds on a case by case basis. Whether a refund is issued will depend on the specific circumstances of each case.Requests should be made via the complaints process:https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-visas-and-immigration/about/complaints-procedure#how-to-complain

Visas: Married People

Afzal Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how her Department plans to assess whether an individual applying for a spouse visa will meet the specific circumstances criteria if they (a) do not meet the minimum income requirement of £18,600 a year or (b) they have one child but earn less than £22,400.

Brandon Lewis: Guidance on assessing whether a spouse visa application which fails to meet the minimum income requirement raises exceptional circumstances is contained in section 13 of the Immigration Directorate Instruction Family Migration Appendix FM Section 1.0a: Family Life (as a Partner or Parent): 5-Year Routes. This is published on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/chapter-8-appendix-fm-family-members

Immigration: EU Nationals

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether a policy decision was taken to send letters to EU citizens lawfully living in the UK asking them to leave.

Brandon Lewis: There has been no policy change with regards to EEA citizens living in the UK and the Home Office is absolutely clear that the rights of EEA citizens living in the UK remain unchanged. It is Home Office policy that any person who is not lawfully resident in the UK is liable for removal and may be notified accordingly by the Home Office. I regret that, in this instance, officials made an operational error and issued enforcement letters incorrectly. The Home Office acted swiftly to correct the error and I have personally written to all those affected to apologise for any stress or concern that this caused.

Immigration Controls: Heathrow Airport

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of UK Border Force officers deployed to Heathrow Airport were absent on each day in August 2017.

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many UK Border Force officers were deployed to Heathrow Airport in each month between August 2016 and August 2017.

Brandon Lewis: Border Force does not release port-specific staffing numbers for national security reasons.

Immigration Controls: Heathrow Airport

Gavin Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many ePassport gates there are in each terminal at Heathrow Airport; and what proportion of those gates were operational in each month between August 2016 and August 2017.

Gavin Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effect of the use of ePassport gates on queue waiting times at Heathrow Airport.

Brandon Lewis: There are a total of 69 ePassport gates across the 4 Heathrow terminals: Terminal 2 = 15Terminal 3 = 15Terminal 4 = 10Terminal 5 = 24 in main arrivals hall and 5 in International/Domestic Transfer area An average of 1 million passengers use the eGates every month, across Heathrow, which is 79.4% of the total number of passengers who are eligible. Whilst the number of eGates open is demand led, current performance addresses volume of passengers with very limited wait times.

Immigration

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of the gross income of her Department less the gross income generated from migration application fees has been accrued in the form of net income gained from migration applications in each of the last five financial years.

Brandon Lewis: Your question relates to Home Office income which can be found in the Annual Report and Accounts:16-17 Page 117 - https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/627853/ho_annual_report_and_accounts_2016_2017.pdf15-16 Page 134 - https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/539638/HO_AR_16_gov.pdf14-15 Page 126 – https://www.gov.uk/mwg-internal/de5fs23hu73ds/progress?id=tNys4lKDcM-N1kzOo5KUl2WQj0Y5-Oh-71pY3aycKfE,&dl13-14 Page 111 - https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/321446/ARA_web_enabled_18_June.pdf12-13 Page 133 - https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/210660/Annual_Report_and_Accounts_FINAL_updated_logo.pdf

Immigration: Yorkshire and the Humber

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people with dependents who are resident in (a) Hull West and Hessle constituency, (b) Hull City Council area and (c) East Riding of Yorkshire Council area have been classified as having no recourse to public funds in each of the last five years.

Brandon Lewis: The Home Office does not publish this data in the format requested.

Immigration: Syria

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people from Syria have been granted indefinite leave to remain in each of the last 12 months; and how many are resident in each local authority area.

Brandon Lewis: Annual statistics on the number of Syrian nationals granted settlement (indefinite leave to enter or remain) are published in settlement table se_03 in the Home Office’s ‘Immigration Statistics, April - June 2017’ https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-april-to-june-2017/list-of-tables#settlement. Information on how many Syrian nationals granted settlement are resident in each local authority area is not available.

Entry Clearances: South Asia and Abu Dhabi

Mike Gapes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average time taken was to process entry clearance applications for a (a) spouse and (b) fiancé at visa offices in (i) New Delhi, (ii) Mumbai, (iii) Chennai, (iv) Islamabad, (v) Dhaka and (vi) Abu Dhabi in each of the last 12 months.

Brandon Lewis: The specific data requested is not published by the Home Office. Published data on visa processing times, including the percentage of visas processed within published service standards, is published online at the following address: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/migration-transparency-data (then listed by publication date under ‘UK Visas & Immigration’).

Entry Clearances

Mike Gapes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many entry clearance applications for a (a) spouse and (b) fiancé have not been processed within 12 weeks in each of the last 12 months; and if she will make a statement.

Brandon Lewis: The specific data requested is not published by the Home Office. Published data on visa processing times, including the percentage of visas processed within published service standards, is published online at the following address: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/migration-transparency-data (then listed by publication date under ‘UK Visas & Immigration’).

Entry Clearances: South Asia and Abu Dhabi

Mike Gapes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average time taken was to process priority entry clearance applications for a (a) spouse and (b) fiancé at visa offices in (a) New Delhi, (b) Mumbai, (c) Chennai, (d) Islamabad, (e) Dhaka and (f) Abu Dhabi in each of the last 12 months.

Brandon Lewis: The specific data requested is not published by the Home Office. Published data on visa processing times, including the percentage of visas processed within published service standards, is published online at the following address: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/migration-transparency-data (then listed by publication date under ‘UK Visas & Immigration’).

Immigration

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what average gross and net income her Department has derived from each category of migration application.

Brandon Lewis: Your question relates to Home Office income categories which are published in the “Visa fees transparency data”: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/606616/Unit_cost_table_2017.pdf

Immigration

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the net income was for (a) her Department and (b) providers of services contracted by her Department from migration applications in each of the last five financial years.

Brandon Lewis: (a) Your question relates to Home Office income which can be found in the Annual Report and Accounts:16-17 Page 117 - https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/627853/ho_annual_report_and_accounts_2016_2017.pdf15-16 Page 134 - https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/539638/HO_AR_16_gov.pdf14-15 Page 126 – https://www.gov.uk/mwg-internal/de5fs23hu73ds/progress?id=tNys4lKDcM-N1kzOo5KUl2WQj0Y5-Oh-71pY3aycKfE,&dl13-14 Page 111 - https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/321446/ARA_web_enabled_18_June.pdf12-13 Page 133 - https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/210660/Annual_Report_and_Accounts_FINAL_updated_logo.pdf (b) We do not have access to the accounts of our suppliers and therefore cannot comment on their net income.

Wales Office

Wales Office: Redundancy Pay

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how much has been paid to (a) men and (b) women who left his Department under exit schemes since 31 March 2016.

Guto Bebb: No staff working at the Wales Office have left under exit schemes since 31 March 2016.

HM Treasury

Business: Terrorism

Neil Coyle: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the Government plans to require insurance companies to offer terrorism insurance on all business policies.

Neil Coyle: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the Government plans to introduce legislation to update the Reinsurance (Acts of Terrorism) Act 1993 to enable insurance companies to offer terrorism insurance beyond property damage to businesses.

Neil Coyle: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy to introduce legislation to update the Reinsurance (Acts of Terrorism) Act 1993 to enable insurance companies to pay compensation to businesses after terrorism attacks when there is no damage to property.

Stephen Barclay: There is nothing in current legislation in the Reinsurance (Acts of Terrorism) Act 1993 that prevents insurers from offering terrorism insurance beyond property damage to businesses, and indeed such products exist on the market. It is up to businesses to decide what risks they would like to be insured against, and for insurers to assess the extent of the risks they are willing to cover. The Government does not generally intervene in these commercial decisions by businesses and insurers. That said, we remain in discussions with the insurance industry, Pool Re and other interested parties to ensure that the 1993 Reinsurance Act continues to enable appropriate terrorism cover to be available for all businesses in the UK. I am due to meet the Honourable Member shortly and I am happy to discuss his questions in further detail.

Department for Exiting the European Union

Department for Exiting the European Union: Behavioural Insights Team

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, how much his Department has paid to the Behavioural Insights Team in each year since his Department's creation.

Mr Steve Baker: The Department for Exiting the EU has not made any payments to the Behavioural Insight Team since creation.

Department for Exiting the European Union: Pay

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, how many of his Department's staff had a pay increase (a) above, (b) at and (c) less than one per cent since his Department's creation.

Mr Steve Baker: The 2017 annual pay remit review will be the first for the Department for Exiting the European Union. The departmental pay remit is still being considered and therefore, DExEU has not implemented any pay rises since its creation.

Department for Exiting the European Union: Secondment

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, how many secondments have been organised from (a) his Department to the private sector and (b) outside Government into his Department since its creation.

Mr Steve Baker: The Department for Exiting the European Union has a number of secondees from the private sector and the wider public sector. We are not in a position to give a final total for particular groups of staff as recruitment is ongoing and numbers are regularly changing. It is not the Department’s policy for people to second out from the Department due to the nature of the Department being temporary.

Department for Exiting the European Union: Scientific Advisers

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, whether his Department has taken steps to ensure that its activities and decision-making is informed by independent scientific advice; to what extent his Department relies on other Departments to facilitate such advice; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Steve Baker: The Department for Exiting the European Union (DEXEU) is committed to ensuring that we access the very best scientific expertise. The Department is actively considering the best way of achieving this and it is important for us to take into account DExEU’s role as a co-ordinating department when considering what provisions to put in place. We are currently exploring these options, including considering the appointment of a Chief Scientific Adviser.

Department for Exiting the European Union: Redundancy Pay

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, how much has been paid out (a) men and (b) women who left his Department under exit schemes since 31 March 2016.

Mr Steve Baker: The Department for Exiting the European Union has not run any exits schemes since 31 March 2016. As a result, there have not been any amounts paid out to Civil Servants under exit schemes since that date.

Department for International Trade

UK Trade with EU

Kit Malthouse: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what proportion and value of UK exports to the EU were destined for markets outside the EU in each of the last five years.

Mark Garnier: Accurate Information on the proportion and value of UK exports to the EU that were destined for markets outside the EU in each of the last five years is not available. This is because many businesses do not report the final destination of their export.

Department for International Trade: Behavioural Insights Team

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how much his Department has paid to the Behavioural Insights Team in each year since his Department's creation.

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what services his Department has received from the Behavioural Insights Team since his Department's creation.

Greg Hands: The Department for International Trade has received services from the Behavioural Insights Team since the department’s creation in 2016. This has enabled the department to add to its evidence base to support priority government areas.Since January 2011, details of central government contracts above the value of £10,000 are published on Contracts Finder. Contracts published after 26 February 2015 can be viewed at: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Search.

UK Export Finance: Staff

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many staff recruited to UK Export Finance in the last 24 months are specialists in renewable energy projects.

Mark Garnier: Renewable energy is a priority sector for UK Export Finance (UKEF), which has recruited four new employees who are specialists in renewable energy projects. Three work in underwriting and one in its Environment and Social Management team. One of the four branches in the Civil, Infrastructure and Energy (CIE) division is now dedicated to low carbon and renewable energy. Before joining UKEF the Head of CIE, one of the three Senior Civil Servants within UKEF’s Business Group, has led an award-winning renewable financing team at a major UK bank, and been Head of Finance for a low carbon energy consortium.

Department of Health

NHS: Complaints

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many formal complaints (a) mental health services and (b) the NHS received in 2016-17.

Mr Philip Dunne: The total number of complaints in respect of National Health Service mental health services for 2016/17 is 14,106. The total written complaints in 2016/17 that the NHS received was 208,400.

Joint Replacements

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many (a) knee, (b) hip and (c) shoulder replacements have been undertaken by the NHS in each of the last five years; and how many people aged (i) 30 to 40, (ii) 41 to 50, (iii) 51 and 60 and (iv) over 60 had such replacements.

Mr Philip Dunne: A count of finished consultant episodes (FCEs)1 with a main or secondary procedure2 for 'joint replacement surgery'3 which includes shoulder, hip and knee4 in total and for selected age groups in England from 2011/12 to 2015/165 is provided in the tables below.  Knee replacementsYearTotal30-40 years41-50 years51-60 yearsOver 60 years2011-1283,3122632,71312,15568,0892012-1382,9762712,83812,55867,2002013-1485,9342372,89413,19969,4932014-1591,5422282,96414,07674,1482015-1692,7352292,96414,15775,272  Hip replacementsYearTotal30-40 years41-50 years51-60 yearsOver 60 years2011-12104,4341,1263,89511,24587,6832012-13105,4991,1454,23911,36988,2492013-14110,6351,0994,22812,11392,6862014-15113,1111,1574,38612,79694,2272015-16112,6251,0754,33912,66994,010 YearShoulder replacementsTotal30-40 years41-50 years51-60 yearsOver 60 years2011-125,852612225185,0102012-136,210602166245,2812013-146,827782196765,8092014-157,174621986176,2522015-167,343712296876,326 Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), NHS Digital Notes:1 A FCE is a continuous period of admitted patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. FCEs are counted against the year in which they end. Figures do not represent the number of different patients, as a person may have more than one episode of care within the same stay in hospital or in different stays in the same year.2 The number of episodes where the procedure (or intervention) was recorded in any of the 24 (12 from 2002-03 to 2006-07 and 4 prior to 2002-03) procedure fields in a HES record. A record is only included once in each count, even if the procedure is recorded in more than one procedure field of the record. It should be noted that more procedures are carried out than episodes with a main or secondary procedure. For example, patients undergoing a ‘cataract operation’ would tend to have at least two procedures – removal of the faulty lens and the fitting of a new one – counted in a single episode.3 Included in the codes are for both partial and total joint replacements as well as conversion and revision codes. The ‘Conversion to’ codes provided in this resolution (e.g. W40.2) are assigned when the procedure has converted to the specified type of joint replacement from a different type of joint replacement. Examples could include conversion to a cemented total shoulder replacement following previous partial shoulder replacement or conversion to a total shoulder replacement following a previous uncemented shoulder replacement. This principle would apply to all ‘Conversion to’ prosthetic joint procedures provided. The ‘Conversion to’ codes could be considered ‘revisions’ in clinical terms, and you may wish to include these codes in your data search.4 A range of OPCS codes covering knee replacements, hemiarthroplasty knees, unicomparmental knee replacements, hip replacements, hemiarthroplasty hips, shoulder replacements and hemiarthroplasty shoulder have been included.5 HES figures are available from 1989-90 onwards. Changes to the figures over time need to be interpreted in the context of improvements in data quality and coverage (particularly in earlier years), improvements in coverage of independent sector activity (particularly from 2006-07) and changes in National Health Service practice. For example, apparent reductions in activity may be due to a number of procedures which may now be undertaken in outpatient settings and so no longer include in admitted patient HES data. Conversely, apparent increases in activity may be due to improved recording of diagnosis or procedure information. It should be noted that HES include activity ending in the year in question and run from April to March, e.g. 2012-13 includes activity ending between 1 April 2012 and 31 March 2013.

NHS: Land

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the receipts were for NHS Property Services from the sale of land in its possession in each of the last five financial years; and for what purposes those receipts were used.

Mr Philip Dunne: Information relating to receipts to NHS Property Services from the sale of land in its possession in each year since it commenced operations (2013) can be found in the following table.YearNumber of sitesSales Receipt £ million2013-144624.982014-1511857.732015-165967.082016-177253.51Total295203.30All monies raised by the Company – which is 100% owned by the Department – are reinvested into capital expenditure and property maintenance in the National Health Service.

NHS: Private Sector

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proportion of NHS floor space was occupied by private providers in each of the last seven years for which figures are available.

Mr Philip Dunne: This information is not held centrally.

NHS Professionals: Privatisation

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the costs were of the privatisation process of NHS Professionals.

Mr Philip Dunne: The Department spent approximately £2.8 million on external advisers’ costs during the sale process for NHS Professionals until the decision was announced on 7 September that NHS Professionals will remain wholly in public ownership. The Government concluded that none of the offers received for NHS Professionals reflected the Company’s growing potential and improved performance. These costs will be recovered by taking a divided payment from NHS Professionals, so this will not impact on delivering frontline National Health Service services. It is normal practice for limited companies such as NHS Professionals to make dividend payments from their distributable profits to their shareholder, in this case the Department. Sufficient cash will be retained in the company though to ensure its operations and any necessary investment can be properly funded.

Physiology

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will take steps to introduce statutory regulation of clinical physiologists.

Mr Philip Dunne: This Government believes that the statutory regulation of healthcare professionals should be used proportionately and only where the risks to public and patient protection cannot be addressed in other ways, such as through employer oversight, or accredited voluntary registration (AVR). The Registration Council for Clinical Physiologists maintains a voluntary register for clinical physiologists, and has recently applied for AVR status with the Professional Standards Authority (PSA). Voluntary registers that pass the PSA’s assessment can use its quality mark and appear in its list of accredited registers. This list is used by employers, patients, public and service users to choose a practitioner to meet their needs and be assured they are safe and competent to practise.

Health Services

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he has taken to inform the public about the Accountable Care System and Accountable Care Organisation process.

Steve Brine: NHS England published its delivery plan ‘Next Steps on the NHS Five Year Forward View’ in March 2017. This plan identified likely Sustainability and Transformation Partnerships (STPs) that had the potential to evolve into Accountable Care Systems (ACSs), whilst also highlighting the specific deliverables that ACSs are expected to contain. For example, some footprints that are starting to work as a locally integrated health system, taking on clear collective responsibility for resources and population health. ‘Next Steps on the NHS Five Year Forward View’ is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/NEXT-STEPS-ON-THE-NHS-FIVE-YEAR-FORWARD-VIEW.pdfIn his speech, addressing the NHS Confederation in Liverpool in June 2017, Simon Stevens further updated the list of STPs that had the potential to evolve into ACSs. Further information about that can be found here:https://www.england.nhs.uk/2017/06/nhs-moves-to-end-fractured-care-system/In relation to Accountable Care Organisations (ACOs), on 4 August 2017 NHS England published an updated draft of the NHS Standard Contract – NHS Standard Contract (Accountable Care Models) (ACO Contract) and support package. NHS England have engaged with key stakeholders in the development of this contract and will continue to work with leading commissioners to develop this contract further over the next year, with a view to consulting on a final version in 2018. The Department is currently consulting on proposals to make a number of changes to regulations that are required to facilitate this new contract. This consultation is available at:https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/accountable-care-models-contract-proposed-changes-to-regulations.The Department expects clinical commissioning groups, when procuring ACO contracts, to assure themselves that they have satisfied their legal duties, including the need to consult local populations. The Government has set clear guidelines and tests to ensure that any significant reconfigurations have demonstrated strong public and patient engagements. Furthermore, those changes must be backed by a clear clinical evidence base and a credible plan to improve performance without affecting patient care. NHS England has processes in place to ensure this.

NHS: Reorganisation

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, through what mechanism he will ensure that sustainability and transformation partnerships comply with obligations with respect to consultation.

Steve Brine: Individual organisations that constitute each of the 44 Sustainability and Transformation Partnerships (STPs) are accountable to local communities for activities of each STP. Each is working to its own, locally appropriate timetable but many have already carried out extensive engagement with the public. When there are proposals to substantially change services, National Health Service and local government organisations have a duty to consult their local communities. There are longstanding rules laid to assure this. All significant service change is subject to a full public consultation and proposals must meet the Government’s four reconfiguration tests. These are support from clinical commissioners, clarity on the clinical evidence base, robust patient and public engagement and support for patient choice. There is additional NHS England guidance which means that proposed service reconfigurations should be tested for their impact on overall bed numbers in the area.

NHS: Finance

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the public consultation process used was before the Capped Expenditure Process was introduced in each of the areas impacted.

Mr Philip Dunne: As with all public services, local National Health Service areas need to live within the budget agreed – otherwise they effectively take up resources that could be spent on general practitioners, mental health care, and cancer treatment. As part of their financial planning, NHS England and NHS Improvement have been running a process to look at how a small number of areas could do more to balance their financial plans, as many already have. This is an extension of the annual national planning process and so no dedicated consultation has taken place. Where specific service changes that result from the process require public consultation, this will follow in the normal way.

Urinary System: Diseases

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to improve diagnosis of urinary tract infections.

Steve Brine: In June 2017 Public Health England updated the Diagnosis of Urinary Tract Infections: Quick Reference Guide for Primary Care, which gives primary care givers, including doctors, nurses and pharmacists, simple, effective, economical and empirical approach towards the diagnosis and treatment of urinary tract infections.

Transvaginal Mesh Implants

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many transvaginal mesh implants have been removed by the NHS in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.

Mr Philip Dunne: This information is not collected centrally.

Transvaginal Mesh Implants

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the re-admission rate is for patients who have undergone a transvaginal mesh implant procedure.

Mr Philip Dunne: This information is not collected centrally.

Endoscopy

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether he plans to develop a national strategy for endoscopy.

Mr Philip Dunne: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 24 July 2017 to Question 5812.

Prostate Cancer

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what progress has been made within the National Cancer Strategy to ensure all men with prostate cancer have access to a clinical nurse specialist or key worker.

Steve Brine: NHS England, along with partners Health Education England, have carried out a series of engagement and consultation exercises with a wide group of stakeholders, including Macmillan Cancer Support, to explore the best approach to improving access to clinical nurse specialists for all patients, including men with prostate cancer. NHS England’s Patient Experience Team has identified a number of alternative and sustainable models of providing access to clinical nurse specialists or key worker to support all patients through their cancer treatment and beyond. NHS England plan to identify a Cancer Alliance best suited to pilot these models with a view to evaluating the outcomes of this work and share learning in December 2018. Part of the learning will be how Cancer Alliances roll out best practice in this area including prostate cancer care.

NHS: Property

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proportion of the profits of NHS Property Services and Community Health Partnerships are reinvested into capital expenditure on property maintenance.

Mr Philip Dunne: All monies raised by NHS Property Services and Community Health Partnerships – which are 100% owned by the Department – are reinvested into the National Health Service. Both companies are consolidated into the Department’s Group accounts, which means they are part of and subject to the capital expenditure plan and limits which apply across the NHS. Although NHS Property Services made a loss last financial year, the company invested £67 million through the capital investment programme to deliver improvements to the NHS property portfolio. Community Health Partnerships (CHP) acts as the head tenant for all 305 of the buildings it is responsible for operating and maintaining for 25 years terms. CHP has a capital investment programme to rationalise and modernise its estate as required, but property maintenance is mostly ensured through its tenancy agreements under which the local NHS LIFT companies (in which CHP is a shareholder) are responsible for the full repair and maintenance costs across the building lifecycle for the full term. CHP made a profit before tax of £1.9 million in 2016/17.

Department of Health: Behavioural Insights Team

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what services his Department has received from the Behavioural Insights Team since 2014.

Mr Philip Dunne: Services received by the Department from the Behavioural Insights Team (BIT) since 2014 are shown in the following table. This has enabled the Department to add to its evidence base to support priority Government areas.Invoice Posted DateLine DescriptionInvoice spend £21 October 2014New approaches to raising awareness among women about folic acid supplementation to promote behaviour change2,0404 April 2014Transferred contract with the Behavioural Insight Team to develop new approaches to tackling obesity.9,43118 November 2014New approaches to raising awareness among women about folic acid supplementation to promote behaviour change7,31017 December 2014New approaches to raising awareness among women about folic acid supplementation to promote behaviour change5,36022 January 2015New approaches to raising awareness among women about folic acid supplementation to promote behaviour change3,2884 April 2014Transferred contract with the Behavioural Insight Team to develop new approaches to tackling obesity.9,43125 February 2015New approaches to raising awareness among women about folic acid supplementation to promote behaviour change2,0107 April 2016Childhood Obesity Strategy: BIT engagement30,4537 April 2016Childhood Obesity Deliberative Forum: BIT engagement5,538

Prostate Cancer: Screening

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that men are able to access early prostate tests.

Steve Brine: The National Health Service Prostate Cancer Risk Management Programme (PCRMP) provides general practitioners and primary care professionals with information to counsel men who ask about prostate cancer and/or prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing. Men over 50 who decide to have a PSA test based on this information can do so for free on the NHS.The PCRMP information pack was revised and updated in March 2016 and is available at the following link:www.gov.uk/guidance/prostate-cancer-risk-management-programme-overviewThe PCRMP has also produced information leaflets that healthcare professionals can use when discussing the test with eligible men, which are available at the following link.www.gov.uk/government/collections/prostate-cancer-risk-management-programme-supporting-documents

Sleep

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people have been diagnosed with sleep disorders in each of the last five years.

Steve Brine: Data on the number of people diagnosed with sleep disorders is not collected. Estimates suggest that disorders of sleep are common, with conditions such as insomnia affecting around one in every three people in the United Kingdom.

Bronchiectasis

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people have been diagnosed with bronchiectasis in each of the last five years.

Steve Brine: The requested information is not held centrally.

Pancreatic Cancer

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the timetable is for the blood test diagnosis for pancreatic cancer becoming available on the NHS.

Steve Brine: Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) are responsible for commissioning care that will provide the best possible outcomes for their patients. In doing so, they should take into account best practice and National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance. There is currently no timetable for making the blood test diagnosis for pancreatic cancer available on the National Health Service.

Eyes: Diseases

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people have been diagnosed with eyesight problems or diseases in each of the last five years.

Steve Brine: It is not possible to provide data on the number of people diagnosed with eyesight problems or disease diagnosis in each of the last five years given that there are many conditions and diseases of the eye, not all of which will be captured by national statistics.

Diabetes: Pancreatic Cancer

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the timetable is for the examination for diabetes which includes a diagnosis for pancreatic cancer becoming available on the NHS.

Steve Brine: There are currently no plans for the National Health Service to routinely screen patients for pancreatic cancer at the same time they are being tested for diabetes.

General Practitioners

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many (a) did-not-attends and (b) drop-outs from appointments occurred in GP practices in (i) Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle constituency and (b) England in each of the last 12 months.

Steve Brine: NHS England does not currently hold information on the number of patients who did not attend or dropped out of general practitioner (GP) appointments on either a local or national level. NHS England has directed NHS Digital to gather this information as part of a new national collection of GP workload information. This collection will begin shortly. Within the Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle constituency the number of did-not-attend or drop-outs from appointments are recorded within individual practices and shared with patients.

Children: Food

Ronnie Cowan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how his Department plans to work with the Scottish Government on protecting children from junk food marketing.

Ronnie Cowan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with the Scottish Government on developing advertising powers to enable that government to protect children from junk food marketing.

Ronnie Cowan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department plans to take to allow the Scottish Government to restrict junk food advertising to children.

Steve Brine: Departmental officials will continue to work with colleagues in the devolved administrations, sharing our thinking and progress to ensure children across the United Kingdom can have the best start in life. Current advertising restrictions in the UK on high fat, salt or sugar (HFSS) products are among the toughest in the world. Strict new rules came into effect on 1 July banning the advertising of HFSS food or drink products in children’s media. These restrictions apply across all non-broadcast media including in print, cinema, online and in social media. In August we announced £5 million investment in a policy research unit on childhood obesity to provide a robust evidence, evaluation and research capability including looking at the impact of marketing on childhood obesity. The unit’s findings will be fed into future meetings with colleagues across the UK.

NHS: Data Protection

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 21 July 2017 to Question 5810, when he plans to publish revised guidance on compliance with the Data Protection Act 1998.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The Department is working with colleagues in regulatory bodies, the National Health Service and industry to test and refine guidance, ahead of publication. It is intended that the document will clearly signpost what regulations are applicable, and which bodies, trusts and their suppliers should contact, at each stage of research, development, validation and deployment of products, whilst ensuring it is clear which standards and relevant legislation should be complied with.

Dental Services: Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many (a) pre-school, (b) primary school and (c) secondary school children in Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle constituency have undergone total dental clearances in each year since 2010.

Steve Brine: The information regarding the number of total dental clearances for each year since 2010 undergone by pre-school, primary school and secondary school children is not collected. Public Health England does collect information on the number of children and young people undergoing hospital dental extractions aged zero to four, five to nine, 10 to 14 and 15 to 19 although it does not collect information on how many teeth are removed per procedure. The figures are available for each financial year from 2011/12 to 2015/16 and can be viewed at:http://www.nwph.net/dentalhealth/Extractions.aspx

Diabetes: Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many patients in Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle constituency have visited a specialist diabetic clinic in each of the last 12 months.

Steve Brine: The information requested is not held centrally.

GP Surgeries

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 24 July 2017 to Question 5742, how many GP surgeries are tenants in properties owned by NHS Property Services and Community Health Partnerships.

Mr Philip Dunne: There are 1,220 general practitioner (GP) practices operating in NHS Property Services-owned buildings. Community Health Partnerships acts as the landlord for 644 GP tenants.

General Practitioners: Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many and which GP practices (a) closed and (b) opened in Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle constituency in each year since 2010.

Steve Brine: NHS England is not aware of any practices having closed in this period, although there have been two mergers involving one or more practices in Hull West.

Tobacco: Health Education

Mr Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much his Department spent on tobacco prevention education in the UK in 2016.

Steve Brine: In 2016 Public Health England spent £33,700 on tobacco prevention education as part of its Rise Above online marketing campaign. The campaign aims to prevent or delay the uptake by 11-16 year-olds of risky behaviours including smoking, drinking alcohol, drugs and sexual relationships. Some local authorities use funding from the public health grant to undertake smoking prevention and education activities in their communities.

Health Professions: Migrant Workers

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 19 July 2017 to Question 4583, how many EU27 workers were employed in NHS trusts and clinical commissioning groups in June 2017.

Mr Philip Dunne: NHS Digital publishes National Health Service workforce statistics. The nationality data for staff working in trusts and clinical commissioning groups, as at June 2017, will be published on 21 September 2017.

NHS: Property

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which properties NHS Property Services has sold in each of the last five financial years; and who the purchasers were for each of those properties.

Mr Philip Dunne: Information relating to the properties sold by NHS Property Services in each year since it commenced operations (2013) can be found via the property disposals section company’s website at:http://www.property.nhs.uk/download/disposals-programme-july-2017/Details of individual purchasers would be available via the Land Registry’s Title Register, at the following link:http://www.land-registry-deeds.co.uk/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIs5rW1PGh1gIVz7vtCh2XIQu3EAAYASAAEgImnPD_BwE

Maternity Services

Jack Dromey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 5 September 2017 to Question 6776, what steps his Department will take to include the recommendations of the national neonatal review due to publish its initial report in September 2017 for consultation in the Local Maternity System Plans which must be in place by October 2017; and what the timetable is for incorporating those recommendations in the period between publication of that review and the putting in place of those plans.

Mr Philip Dunne: The Neonatal Critical Care Review has this month, set out initial themes and recommendations supported by detailed data packs at Neonatal Care level and Local Maternity Systems level. The Local Maternity System Plans are being incorporated into local planning arrangements.

NHS: Procurement

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 13 July 2017 to Question 3138, if he will publish the constituent costs which make up the sum referred to as the forecast costs for the set-up of the new NHS Intelligent Client Coordinator body.

Mr Philip Dunne: The constituent activities underpinning the forecast cost for the setup of the new NHS Intelligent Client Coordinator body can be categorised into Design, Build, and Support (time limited) activities. As one provider has been selected to undertake these activities through a competitive process, the associated costs are commercially sensitive and therefore cannot be publicly disclosed.

Health Services: Reciprocal Arrangements

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 12 July 2017 to Question 2509, on health services: reciprocal arrangements, if he will provide the data referred to for 2016-17.

Mr Philip Dunne: The figures for the United Kingdom’s claims against European Economic Area (EEA) member states and Switzerland for medical costs for 2016/17 are attached. As stated in the response to Question 2509, under European Union Regulations, other European Economic Area (EEA) countries and Switzerland reimburse the UK for the cost of the National Health Service providing treatment to people they are responsible for under EU law. This includes UK nationals insured in another EEA country or Switzerland. In the same way, the UK Government reimburses other EEA countries and Switzerland for the cost of providing treatment to people we are responsible for under EU law, irrespective of nationality. The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) will cover any necessary treatment – including pre-existing medical conditions and routine maternity care - until the holder returns home. It is not possible to separate out claims to other EEA countries from the UK solely linked to EHIC usage. Claims by, and to, the UK for treatment relating to EHICs, are included in a larger category which also includes pre-authorised planned treatments and coverage for posted and frontier workers. It should be noted that Member States, including the UK, can submit claims up to 18 months in arrears so claims for any 12 month period do not necessarily reflect treatment provided in that period.



PQ10089 attached table
(Excel SpreadSheet, 41.64 KB)

NHS: Finance

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 29 June 2017 to Question 820, on NHS: finance, what recent assessment he has made of the effect of the UK leaving the EU on future funding for the NHS.

Mr Philip Dunne: In line with the rest of Government, the Department is analysing the impact of the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union. For the Department this includes understanding the financial implications of Brexit for the National Health Service and wider care system and, where appropriate, mitigating for any risks associated with different negotiated options. The Department is working to ensure the best outcome for the health and social care system. All relevant policy teams within the Department are involved with this work and are assessing the implications of the UK leaving the EU on their area. This includes working with NHS England and other arm’s length bodies.

Countess of Chester Hospital: Maternity Services

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 13 July 2017 to Question 3375, on Chester Hospital: maternity services, what recent progress has been made on that investigation.

Mr Philip Dunne: The investigation by Cheshire Constabulary into a number of baby deaths occurring between June 2015 and June 2016 in the neonatal unit of the Countess of Chester Hospital remains on-going since my previous response in July 2017. We are not able to provide any further details regarding recent progress at this time.

Grenfell Tower: Mental Health Services

Mr David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 11 September 2017 to Question 8586, how many (a) mental health support workers, (b) trauma counsellors, (c) bereavement counsellors and (d) other mental health support professionals have been provided to support the survivors of the Grenfell Tower fire and their families.

Mr David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 11 September 2017 to Question 8586, what additional resources have been set aside to fund the provision of mental health support and counselling for the survivors of the Grenfell Tower fire and their families in (a) 2017 and (b) each of the next five years.

Jackie Doyle-Price: We are informed by NHS England that there are about 160 National Health Service staff members providing support to people impacted by the Grenfell Tower Fire. Central and North West London NHS Foundation Ttust (CNWL) have 40 therapists providing trauma support, backed by the primary care liaison and school nursing team. There are also 67 members of staff providing outreach services, including knocking on people’s doors and visiting hotels. This work is supported by CNWL clinical management team. CNWL are also working with a number of bereavement support organisations including CRUSE and Place2Be for children. Additional support is provided by general practitioners, nurses and existing mental health services with additional sessions from a range of mental health providers led by CNWL. The NHS is continuing to respond to the needs of those affected by the Grenfell Tower fire, and a substantial recruitment drive is underway for specialist therapy roles for individuals and families. Additional capacity has been put in mental health crisis teams, general practice, and community teams. This enables Grenfell patients to be seen quickly and have longer appointment times to meet their complex needs. Bespoke services have also been put in place that are more intensive and accessible, specific to the needs resulting from the incident based on what residents have said. NHS England is currently working with West London Clinical Commissioning Group to ensure that the funding is in place to cover cost pressures incurred to date and for additional services required in future years.

In Vitro Fertilisation

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent representations he has received on IVF commissioning.

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure that clinical commissioning groups follow NICE recommendations on the commissioning of IVF.

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many clinical commissioning groups comply fully with NICE recommendations on the commissioning of IVF.

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what his policy is on IVF therapy being restricted to women aged between 30 and 35.

Mr Philip Dunne: Since June 2017, 24 letters and emails about National Health Service in vitro fertilisation (IVF) provision have been received by the Department together with five Parliamentary Questions about NHS fertility services. I have also received a request to meet from the patient stakeholder organisation, Fertility Fairness, and intend to meet them later in the autumn. Information about clinical commissioning groups (CCSs) that have fully implemented the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) fertility guidelines is not collected centrally. CCGs are responsible for commissioning local health services and ensuring the needs of the local health population are met. NHS England is responsible for oversight of the commissioning system. The NICE guidelines are evidence-based best practice for clinicians but are not mandatory.The Government's policy is that CCGs should implement the NICE guidelines in full. This includes the NICE recommendation that three cycles of IVF is offered to qualifying couples where the woman is under the age of 40 and one cycle where the woman is between the ages of 40 and 42.NHS England has advised that the IVF benchmark price will be developed during 2017/18 with support from the IVF Expert Advisory Group and all key stakeholders, working towards publishing the IVF benchmark price ready for the financial year 2018/19. It is also planning to develop and test an IVF outcome-based payment approach with a number of CCGs and service providers in 2018/19.NHS England and professional and stakeholder groups, including the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, are working together to develop commissioning guidance. This guidance aims to improve the quality of commissioning and further encourage the implementation of the NICE fertility guidelines. NHS England has agreed to disseminate and promote the commissioning guidance to all CCGs in England.

Pathology

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent assessment he has made of trends on waiting times in cellular pathology.

Mr Philip Dunne: This information is not held centrally.

NHS: Flexible Working

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will take steps to improve the entitlement to flexible working for NHS staff.

Mr Philip Dunne: Employers are responsible for ensuring that staff requests for flexible working are fully considered, balancing operational delivery requirements with what staff want.Legally, all staff who have been employed for 26 weeks or more are entitled to ask for flexible working.The Government wants to improve opportunities for flexible working. The Department is working with system leaders at NHS Improvement, NHS England and NHS Employers, to explore whether best use is being made of existing flexible working arrangements in the National Health Service; improving the use of e-rostering across the NHS to help trusts better plan the use of their workforce; reviewing whether staff contracts and/or terms and conditions of service can give greater emphasis to encouraging flexible working; encouraging line manager training to improve conversations in response to flexible working requests and ensuring staff have a clear understanding of what flexible working arrangements may be available to them locally.

Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency: Finance

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the budget was of the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.

Steve Brine: The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) for each of the last 10 years is shown in the following table. The majority of the Agency’s funding is from fees. 2016/72015/162014/152013/142012/132011/122010/112009/102008/092007/08Page number[1]88818680564244515235 £’000£’000£’000£’000£’000£’000£’000£’000£’000£’000Total Trading Income157,293152,963152,767141,813108,815117,247121,387112,690112,81293,463 Information about the Agency’s funding is published in the Annual Report and Accounts.The MHRA’s Annual Report and Accounts for each year is published on the Gov.UK website at:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications?keywords=&publication_filter_option=corporate-reports&topics%5B%5D=all&departments%5B%5D=medicines-and-healthcare-products-regulatory-agency&official_document_status=all&world_locations%5B%5D=all&from_date=&to_date[1] Page number in the Annual Report and Accounts of the MHRA for each of the years since 2007/08

Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many products were seized by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.

Steve Brine: The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is the United Kingdom Regulatory Agency with responsibility for the regulation of medicinal products (for human use) and medical devices and also acts as the law enforcement authority with statutory powers including rights of entry, inspection and seizure of products. Medicinal products are not ordinary consumer goods and, consequently, there is strict legislative control on their sale, supply, manufacture and distribution. Medicines that do not comply with regulatory requirements pose potential health risks and once identified, either in the UK or at the UK border, are liable to detention and seizure. The tables below set out the number of units / doses seized yearly.Seizures by MHRA on operational activities.OPS seizuresUnits/doses2009-10244,6272010-11528,7692011-121,383,4952012-13512,6332013-14266,5452014-151,079,5702015-16244,6272016-172,721,6732017- date285,649 * 7,267,588Note: *this figure is year to date Seizures made on Operation Pangea Operation Pangea is a global initiative targeting illegal online sales of medical products. Pangea Seizures from Operation PangeaUnits/doses2007100,0002008200,0002009334,0002010296,711201194,80620122,100,00020133,700,00020143,600,00020156,200,00020164,664,885Seizures made by UK Border ForceSeizures at UK BorderUnits/doses2013 – September 201721,641,816   To combine, this represents total seizures of 50,199,806 to date.

General Practitioners: Migrant Workers

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what his future plans are for the recruitment of GPs from overseas.

Steve Brine: NHS England aims to recruit at least 2,000 doctors into general practice by 2020/21. This compares to an initial target of 500 doctors over the same period of time. In order to meet this target, NHS England is expanding its current recruitment programme of doctors from the European Economic Area (EEA) whose general practitioner (GP) training is recognised in the United Kingdom under European law and who already get automatic recognition to join the General Medical Council’s (GMC) GP register. NHS England is also establishing a Framework Agreement of International Recruitment Providers, to identify potential overseas doctors and support them through the recruitment process, and a GP international recruitment office to run the recruitment operation. Finally, the Royal College of General Practitioners is working with the GMC to review the curriculum, training and assessment processes for GPs trained outside the EEA, starting with Australia, to identify whether the GP registration process can be streamlined for those doctors whose training is seen as equivalent to the UK GP programme.

NHS Shared Business Services

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make an assessment of whether NHS Shared Business Services has produced ongoing lower costs for the NHS since its sale.

Mr Philip Dunne: NHS Shared Business Services (SBS) is a joint venture company that is in approximately equal ownership between the Department and the multi-national outsourcing company, SopraSteria. It provides a range of services for National Health Service customers in the following broad areas: - Finance and Accounting;- Employment services, including Payroll and- Procurement. It currently holds altogether 116 provider and 69 commissioner contracts for providing these services. It also provides the Integrated Single Financial Environment (a platform to process all non-pay spend) to all clinical commissioning groups across the country. In the main the work is won as a result of the trusts and other NHS bodies requiring the services running tendering processes with SBS and other suppliers being invited to tender, along with an in-house option where the services are not already outsourced. Where SBS wins contracts it has therefore won them on the basis of offering savings compared to the other alternatives. SBS has, in the last 12 months, won 82 contract renewals and 13 new contracts. Ongoing customer-side management of these contracts and assurance of any savings is a matter for the NHS customers of SBS. Using a methodology agreed with the National Audit Office, the Company’s most recently audited accounts for the year end 2016 state that over £400 million of savings to the NHS have been achieved to date.

Prisons: Health Services

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of recruitment and retention levels in the prison health system; and if he will make a statement.

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many full-time GPs there were working within the prison health system in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many NHS staff are seconded to the prison health system.

Jackie Doyle-Price: It is expected that all prisons have access to a full range of health professionals as per services within the community. Since 2013, NHS England has been responsible for commissioning all healthcare services for prisoners in England. Services are commissioned for individual prisons by NHS England’s local commissioners, based on a local health needs assessment which informs the provision of services required. NHS England has commissioned a report looking at the workforce, market management and recruitment and retention in the adult prison estate in England, to support providers in their recruitment approaches. The information on the number of National Health Service staff seconded to, and the number of full time general practitioners working in the prison health system is not collected centrally.

General Practitioners: Attendance

Iain Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to review the sanctions available to GP practices against patients who repeatedly do not attend appointments.

Steve Brine: The National Health Service Constitution states that patients are responsible for keeping appointments or cancelling them within a reasonable time. At present there are no sanctions available for general practitioner practices to manage repeated failure to attend appointments. There are no plans at present to review this.

Hospitals: Attendance

Iain Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the cost to the NHS of patients who do not attend hospital appointments in each of the last 12 months.

Mr Philip Dunne: This information is not held centrally.